JJCF was founded in 2002 by Saul (Shaul) Behr, yet another contributor to South Africa’s burgeoning intellectual capital and resource export industry (a.k.a. the “brain drain”). Torn between the lofty goals of making Aliya and continuing to contribute to the Johannesburg Jewish community, Behr chose to do both, starting up JJCF a few months before moving to Israel.

South Africa has a proud tradition of, well, circumspect adoption of new technology, as evinced by the introduction of television as early as the 1970’s, and broadband/ADSL internet on a wide scale in the latter part of the first decade of the 21st century.  JJCF, on the other hand, has taken off meteorically, with so many people joining and posting that subscribers are overwhelmed with heimishe Joburg Jewish loving-kindness, and left begging for mercy – “Please, stop offering to lend me your lawnmowers!  I already have 24, plus a hair clipper and an offer for astroturf installation!”